10 Wild Raccoon Facts

Known for their memory, intelligence, and dexterous fingers, raccoons are amazing animals. Explore interesting raccoon facts, history, trivia, and more.

10 Wild Raccoon Facts

1. A raccoon’s most advanced sense is touch. They even have whiskers near the tops of their paws. While humans rely primarily on vision to make sense of the world, raccoons rely on touch.

2. Pygmy raccoons can only be found in Cozumel in Mexico. With only 250-300 pygmy raccoons left, they are nearly extinct.

3. Raccoons that live in the city are typically smarter than those who live in the country.

4. A raccoon's closest relatives are the cacomistle and the ring-tailed cat.

5. Scientists believe a raccoon's “mask” helps improve their already excellent night vision.

6. In German, the name for a raccoon is waschbar, meaning “wash-bear,” because they love to wash their food before they eat it.

7. Raccoons have such sensitive hearing that they can hear worms crawling in the earth.

8. Prompted by a child's cartoon, “Rascal the Raccoon,” Japan started importing raccoons in the 1960s. They are now banned in that country because they caused so much environmental damage.

9. A group of raccoons is called a nursery or a gaze.

10. Raccoons can make over 200 different sounds.